mlb commitee

i hear there's a new commitee discussing how to make the sport better...so far i 've heard of 2 things they discussed


1. more day night double headers to help shorten the season a few weeks so post season starts sooner

2. rotating division (non-economical) way to make league more competive.

what do you guys think..i have thoughts but not enough time to type them..i will chime in later

Change the way all star voting is done, take the power away from the fans and form small voting committee's composed of ex-players/coaches/broadcasters and maybe writers to pick the most worthy players, not some guy who missed all but one month of the season because of a drug suspension. (Sorry Tom and Bridget )

Also, PLEASE make the post season games during the day, especially the World Series, it makes it less likely that fans of the victorious team will riot or engage in mischief when their team triumphs.

Fire Bud Selig.

raydodger wrote:Fire Bud Selig.

Ethierfan16 wrote:Change the way all star voting is done, take the power away from the fans and form small voting committee's composed of ex-players/coaches/broadcasters and maybe writers to pick the most worthy players, not some guy who missed all but one month of the season because of a drug suspension. (Sorry Tom and Bridget )

Also, PLEASE make the post season games during the day, especially the World Series, it makes it less likely that fans of the victorious team will riot or engage in mischief when their team triumphs.

frank you ignore the post..they aren't discussing what your talking about..they are discussing the 2 items i listed...who cares about the all star game.

Bud Selig in a top secret meeting of baseball's hierarchy, discussing possible rule changes...




"Who ordered extra anchovies?"

I'd re-align Baseball and put Angels and Dodgers in the same Division. Have the same number of teams in each league.

Updated: March 19, 2010, 6:21 PM ET

Group also eye umpiring, replay

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Tweaking the postseason schedule. Eliminating the link between the All-Star game and World Series. Adding replay for fair-or-foul calls down the lines.

Oh, and a message to the Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers: Hurry up!

Baseball is looking to make adjustments. Some soon, others later. Some significant, others subtle.

One change already is in effect. Pitchers now can touch their mouths or lips on the mound at any time to get a better grip. No need to step off or ask the umpire's permission, provided they're not standing on the rubber and then wipe their fingers.

The Official Playing Rules Committee made that shift in December, the same month commissioner Bud Selig convened a special, 14-member panel to examine all facets of the game. He repeatedly said "there are no sacred cows."

The group will look at scheduling, pace of game, realignment, umpiring and other areas. Selig promises to seriously study the panel's suggestions.

Major League Baseball made one recommendation without waiting. It's directly calling the Yankees, the Dodgers and Boston slow pokes, and telling them to speed up.

The Yankees (3:08), Red Sox (3:04) and Dodgers (3:02) played the longest nine-inning games last year, STATS LLC said; the MLB average was 2 hours, 52 minutes. Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon was fined $5,000 for slow play and the champion Yanks drew the eye -- and ire -- of baseball for holding incessant mound meetings in the postseason.

"We have hitters that see a lot of pitches. The Red Sox have hitters that see a lot of pitches. We haven't played the Dodgers so I don't really know. But that's going to be a part of it," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

"We do whatever we can. We tell the players what to do, but if you're going to score runs and see lots of pitches and there's pitching changes, the game's going to be longer. But we're doing everything we can to adhere to the rules," he said.

There aren't any threats about what will happen if they don't comply. Will the prompts help? "We told those three the same thing last year," MLB vice president of on-field operations Bob Watson said.

Talks have started, meanwhile, between management and the players' union on altering the postseason schedule this year. Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia loudly complained last October when his team went through a stretch of playing eight games in 20 days.

MLB and the union are discussing whether an extra off-day during the AL championship series can be pulled. Scioscia, a member of Selig's blue-ribbon panel, made that a point of emphasis during a meeting of committee members and conference calls.

Any chance of expanding the opening round to a best-of-seven, however, will have to wait until the current labor contract expires after the 2011 season.

"The commissioner paid attention to everything that was on the table, put a lot of thought into it. I think he appreciated all the input," Scioscia said. "What I was really adamant about was the structure of the postseason as far as how many games you play and how the postseason needs to keep a flow. I know that he paid a lot of attention to it and I'm sure he'll address it at the proper time."

Selig has said he anticipates making some announcements before the season starts April 4.

The panel is expected to look hard at whether the league that wins the All-Star game should be awarded home-field advantage in the World Series. The American League has won seven in a row since the innovation began and the issue has constantly drawn debate, with many fans and players saying there are other ways to determine who hosts Game 1.

Among other topics the committee has explored: realignment to better group teams of similar economic situations and changes to the amateur draft. The union generally would be OK on making all players subject to an international draft, but would oppose attaching fixed signing bonuses to each slot.

Replay also drew interest following a postseason of missed calls. At some point, the committee is expected to present its view on using replay to review balls that land in play near the foul lines. That change would require approval from the umpires.

Cleveland general manager Mark Shapiro said announcements from Selig's office were on the way.

"The commissioner has set a definite agenda on a variety of topics and I'm excited on the progress that was made," he said.

I would imagine the slow pace of our games is dictated by the many pitching changes. What are you going to do? It's the way Torre manages.

3Dogg wrote:I would imagine the slow pace of our games is dictated by the many pitching changes. What are you going to do? It's the way Torre manages.

there's not much you can do to speed the game up..it's fine the way it is time wise

money and tv commericials ever half inning and pitching change..slow the game down..and they won't change that

Selig on drug testing...

Selig: Too soon to determine if HGH test valid

Commissioner says experts still weighing the evidence

NEW YORK - Baseball commissioner Bud Selig says it’s too soon to determine whether a blood test for human growth hormone can be used for minor leaguers.

The United Kingdom Anti-Doping authority announced a two-year ban on Feb. 23 for rugby player Terry Newton, saying he had tested positive and was the first athlete suspended for using HGH.

Speaking Monday night before receiving a lifetime achievement award at the annual dinner of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, Selig said Dr. Gary Green, baseball’s outside expert, and other medical staff were examining the data. Selig said the scientific experts haven’t been able to give him a timeframe for their conclusions.

“I want them to come back and tell me what this means, and they already have said they can’t do it right now, so there’s no sense in me speculating, because I don’t know,” Selig said. “They’ve got a lot of work to do to determine the authenticity of it.”

Selig can start blood testing on players with minor league contracts at any time. Testing on players on 40-man major league rosters is limited to urine, and rules can’t be changed without an agreement with the players’ association.

Baseball has helped fund the development of a urine test for HGH, but efforts of Dr. Don Catlin have been unsuccessful.

“We’re doing it with the USOC and the National Football League,” Selig said. “All of us are spending a great deal of money trying to find a test.”

Selig wouldn’t speculate on whether he would ask the union to accept a blood test for major leaguers.

“At this point in time, I just want our people to come back and tell me what it is,” he said. “Then I’ll go from there.”

Selig, who retired Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 for all major leaguers in 1997, was proud of his efforts on minority hiring since becoming commissioner in 1992.

“Without Jackie Robinson, there’s no Hank Aaron, there’s no Willie Mays, there’s no Bob Gibson, there’s no Willie Stargell. You can go on and on,” Selig said.

Black players accounted for 10.2 percent of major leaguers in 2008, the most since the 1995 season, according to Richard Lapchick, director of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports. The sport had reached an all-time low of 8.2 percent in 2007, according to Lapchick.

“We just have to be very aggressive,” Selig said. “We lost a generation maybe in the ’60s and ’70s.”

Later, he told the crowd at the back-tie dinner: “We owe Jackie and will always owe Jackie an enormous amount of gratitude, for he truly made baseball the national pastime.”

On another topic, Selig said he thought a report by IBISWorld last week that MLB’s revenue will grow 4.5 percent to $6.9 billion this year was slightly lower than his hope.

“I’m doing the clubs one by one,” Selig said. “It’s a little premature to do that, but it’s a goal that I have obviously. My goal is actually a little bit higher.”

Baseball estimates revenue last year at $6.6 billion, up $100 million from 2008.

Other honorees included soprano Jessye Norman (ROBIE Humanitarian Award), and Willis Group Holdings PLC chief executive officer Joseph Plumeri and Unilever NV PLC chief executive officer Paul Polman (ROBIE Achievement in Industry Awards).

Updated: March 20, 2010, 5:56 PM ET

Selig: Realignment will be considered

Associated Press

PHOENIX -- Baseball commissioner Bud Selig admitted Saturday that he has put his ideas for realignment on paper, but that's as far as it has gone thus far.

"When I am on long airport rides I will fiddle around with divisions and things," Selig said at Maryvale Baseball Park during a spring training game between the Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers. "The one thing about it: you come up with 100 different [scenarios]."

There have been reports in recent weeks that one of the subjects the 14-person special committee Selig designated four months ago was the idea of "floating realignment" in which teams would not be fixed to a division, but free to change divisions from year to year based on geography, payroll and their plans to contend or not.

The 75-year-old Selig wasn't ready to go that far with the possible concept just yet.

"I've always believed in realignment and we have done a lot in the last 18 years, but we really have not discussed that subject," he said. "It's a subject that has been on my mind for a long time, but is there anything to report? No. There have been some stories but that is way ahead of where we are."

At the same time, Selig, who has been commissioner since 1998, said it will be looked at by the committee.

"I do believe it can work, just like I did in the wild card, interleague play and revenue sharing," he said. "When you do things, whatever you do in baseball, you got to do it with permanence so whatever you do you've done. It's something I want to keep thinking about."

Selig was asked about what else he would like to accomplish before leaving office, and he went directly to labor negotiations.

"No one ever would have ever dreamed if you lived through what I did back in the Marvin Miller-Bowie Kuhn era where there was anger and work stoppages [that there is a good relationship between the two sides]," he said. "We are going to have 16 years of labor peace and I hope for a lot more after we get done with this next one.

"I really believe that is why the sport has grown so dramatically."

Selig also touched on the possibility of an international draft, and Kansas City receiving an All-Star game bid.

"When they went to the draft in 1965, they did it because clubs were so concerned with the Yankees winning all of the time," Selig said. "The objective is to do what they did and perpetuate what they did in 1965. That is for labor negotiations. I believe in slotting and the international draft. I think it helps small and medium markets.

"In fact, I think it is critical."

As far as the All-Star game being held in Kansas City, Selig said the Royals organization has done all the right things to put itself in line for the game after the renovation of Kauffman Stadium.

"I am going to have to do some juggling over the next five or six years because there is a long list [of teams wanting to host it]," he said. "You just have to make what you think is the best pick. I have a great regard for Kansas City. We will make an announcement at the appropriate time."

"Floating realigment?" That blows!! Depends on whether you plan to contend or not? Jesus!! What happened to this great game?